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7 Reasons David Is Called “a Man After God’s Own Heart?” Part 3

Have you ever asked...."Why was David a man after God's own heart?"

Praise the Lord everyone! What is on my heart this month? Chasing after God’s heart, and catching it! Years ago a popular book came out by the author Tommy Tenney, and the title of this book was called God Chasers. King David was a God chaser, a man relentless in his pursuit to
know God intimately and have God more in his life. At this time in Israel’s history Saul who had been appointed king had made several direct acts of disobedience, disobeying direct commands
from the Lord. Thus God had seen enough, and was seeking someone to replace Saul, and God spoke to his servant the prophet Samuel to speak these words

1 Samuel 13:13–14 (NKJV).
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought
for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

Then in 1 Samuel 16, God speak to Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel.

1 Samuel 16:1 (NKJV)
1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”

Jesse had 8 sons, and the youngest would be David, and he was God’s choice. Question: “What made David different...in that he would stand out to God?” As we learned last month, first was that...

1) David had great faith in God!
Now though it is not exactly detailed how his faith in God was so deeply cultivated...we do get glimpses of him revealing it...when He was faced with the challenge of fighting the champion of the Philistines, Goliath. With only a sling and stone, he would fall the mightiest hero of the army of the Philistines.

2) David had great trust in God!

Even though Saul was a constant threat to his life, David had respect for him as king and spared his life on more than one occasion. When David had an opportunity to kill Saul in a cave, he chose not to. He said, “May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord take vengeance on you for me; but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you” (1 Sam. 24:12-13).

David showed complete trust in God, which meant it was not in his hands to strike down the king God had put in command. David knew that God had proclaimed him to be the next king, but unlike Saul with the burnt offering, he would wait until God removed Saul, rather than taking the matter into this own hands. He also was relying on God to save him from the wickedness of Saul, who sought to destroy him.


3) David had a passion for spiritual things!

While far from perfect, he had a passion for spiritual things...
Psalm 42:1–2 (NKJV)
1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
He gives us great evidence to this by his choice to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. He
builds a new tabernacle for it and starts planning and funding for the future Temple. David was so passionate about being close to the Ark, (the Word of God the Ten Commandments) that it is shared through Jewish oral tradition...that he would remove the covering off of the tent that covered the ark, so the sun would shine down upon it. Then when the sun got into the right position of the
day...it would create a shadow made by the cherubim and their large outstretched wings (angels) on
the top of the of the Ark. David knew though...after the events of Uzza...if you touch the Ark you can die.
1 Chronicles 13:9–10 (NKJV)
9 And when they came to Chidon’s threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.
After this he wouldn’t dare not think of touching it...but how close could he get and not loose his life?
He could at least experience the nearness of God’s presence by placing himself as close as he could...in the shadow of their wings.
David would share this experience that He had in the Psalms as a prayer to God...
Psalm 17:8–9 (NKJV)
8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, 9 From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me.

He would also include this understanding in...
Psalms 91:1,4
V.1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
V.4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

Do you like David have a passion for “spiritual things?” Do you spend time drawing near to Him?
Jesus loves you and so do I! ~ Pastor Doug